Wenger ready to throw in his Young Guns again

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger maintains the Carling Cup is the perfect platform for his young Gunners to show him just what they are capable of.

The line-up at Ewood Park for tonight's quarter-final against Blackburn is
expected to be much changed from the one which battled to Barclays Premier
League victory over Chelsea on Sunday.

Wenger, though, has every confidence the fringe players in his squad can
continue to do themselves justice as Arsenal seek to reach the final for a
second successive season.

'It is a good opportunity for my squad to show how strong the players who
didn't play against Chelsea are,' he said. 'The Carling Cup is more of a squad game, because we decided as a squad to go
for every single trophy.

'I felt they were hard done by in the final last year, and I would like this
team to come back and win the cup.'

Wenger has high hopes.

'My expectation is to qualify and go into the semi-finals, because we want to
come back as well as we did last year,' he added. 'I believe in them, and it is good (for the fringe players) to show me 'we
knock at the door and we want to play in the first team'.

'We use the competition for our players to grow up - but not only to grow
up. It is also to show they are good enough to play in the Champions League and
the Premier League.

'I believe as well what is fantastic is to see these players respond under
the pressure of Premier League teams, and you can detect who is ready and who is
not ready.'

Midfielder Emmanuel Eboue looks set to be sidelined for a couple of weeks
after damaging knee ligaments against Chelsea, but forward Theo Walcott could be
back in contention after missing the Chelsea game with a slight knee problem.

Young Danish striker Nicklas Bendtner is likely to lead the attack, with
Eduardo - who scored twice in the last round - and Polish goalkeeper Lukasz
Fabianski also set to feature.

Wenger feels the young Pole has settled in well.

'Lukasz is a very impressive goalkeeper with tremendous qualities,' he
said. 'I like his intelligence, his physical attributes and his agility - he is a
very impressive goalkeeper.

'For me, he does already [challenge for a first-team place] because the other
goalkeepers practise with him - and they see how good he is.'

Wenger has still to hear, meanwhile, if he will face another touchline ban in
the Champions League.

The Arsenal manager had to watch the Gunners' final Group H match against
Steaua Bucharest from the stands, as punishment for confronting the fourth
official during the 3-1 defeat by Sevilla.

UEFA have yet to confirm whether that has been extended to the first leg of
their last-16 match.

Yesterday, Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard was handed a two-match ban for his
dismissal against Lyon on November 27 - the same day as Wenger's offence.